The scoop on 'Wayside Gardens'

Company Profile   Wayside Gardens Mailing Address: 1 Garden Lane Hodges, South Carolina 29695 (United States) Phone: (800) 213-0379 Fax: (800) 817-1124. Catalog Order Page: Hyperlink Paper Catalog Cost: Free » E-Mail them » Visit their website Recent reviews: Past month Past 6 Months Past 12 Months Positive 4 10 13 Neutral 1 2 4 Negative 1 24 50 This company is affiliated with Park Seed Company (aka Park's Gardens) This company offers a variety of bulbs and plants. This company specializes in: Plants: Ornamental Trees and Shrubs Plants: Perennial Flowers Other helpful information: Member of Mailorder Gardening Association

Company Comment, posted on January 26, 2006:   Our company is committed to delivering quality stock, premium varieties, and good value for your gardening investment. We lead the industry in introducing new varieties to our customers, thanks in part to our unique strategic relationships with outstanding developers and growers. For example, Proven Winners(REG) (www.provenwinners.com), Color Choice(REG) (www.colorchoiceplants.com), and Monrovia(REG) (www.monrovia.com) all work closely with us, as seen in their ads in major gardening periodicals throughout the year. We are gardeners ourselves, and we understand what you want most. We ship the largest, healthiest plants for your dollar, and strive to get them to you in top condition at the right time for planting. We’re even making it easier for you to get your plants faster by offering a new low-cost upgrade to two-day airfreight shipping. And we always enclose a free Gardening Guide, with special tips for helping your plant thrive in those first crucial days after it arrives on your doorstep. Our company further demonstrates our love of gardening by serving as a major sponsor for the weekly gardening show, GardenSMART, seen on PBS stations around the country (www.gardensmart.tv). Supporting these lively and informative programs is just another way that we can say “thank you!” to the gardening community that we’ve been a part of for almost a century. We’d love for you to learn more about our company and its history (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayside_Gardens), or for you to visit our national headquarters at 1 Garden Lane, Hodges, South Carolina (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hodges,_South_Carolina). But most of all, we hope you will place an order with us and let us serve you personally. We welcome your input and questions, either via our online comment form (www.parkpr.com/feedback) or by calls to our customer service representatives and horticulturists (800-845-1124). Our Guarantee : All products to be high quality, true to type, shipped properly, and to perform as advertised. If this is not the case, notify us as soon as possible, and we will gladly resolve the issue, offer gardening advice, or provide a merchandise credit. Please understand that we cannot accept responsibility for the results of extreme weather, neglect, unforeseeable acts of nature, or ignoring our hardiness zone recommendations.

Feedback History and Summary   285 positives 115 neutrals 326 negatives

Comments:

Rating Author Content Negative WDMgardener (1 review) On June 16, 2009, WDMgardener West Des Moines, IA wrote: -----Original Message----- From: ___ Received: 5/15/2009 11:31 AM To: gardener@waysidecs.com Subject: RE: order #___ Dear Wayside, I'm writing about order #___. I have been very disappointed with the Hydrangea "Incrediball" that I ordered. The first plant arrived with leaves that were black-ish green and slimy. I called customer service and they sent me a replacement. It arrived two days ago in poor condition - almost completely wilted. I watered it right away, but it is not coming back. I'm attaching a photo. The right hand side is the original order, the left hand side is the replacement. - - - - Dear ___, Wayside Order ___ Thank you so much for contacting us here at Wayside! We value our customers' comments and questions very highly, and we appreciate hearing from you. We apologize for the condition of the hydrangea upon arrival. It is not uncommon for the tops to be wilted upon arrival, from the shock of being in shipment without light. Please check the root system. If it has a good root system, it should put on new growth in about 3 to 4 weeks for planting time. Please let us know if it fails to grow by the end of this month. Again, thank you for writing to us. If you have any further questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact us (number and address listed below). And thanks for gardening with Wayside! Barbara Wayside Gardens Customer Contact Team 1 Garden Lane Hodges, South Carolina 29695 Telephone: 800-845-1124 Fax: 800-817-1124 http://www.waysidecs.com email: info@waysidecs.com - - - I wrote back to say that both hydrangeas are absolutely dead and as of June 16, 2009, I have not heard from Wayside. Positive PamelaQ (17 reviews) On June 15, 2009, PamelaQ Navarre, FL (Zone 8b) wrote: I ordered Rose Brilliant Veranda® and it arrived in a timely manner. I received a bareroot rose of excellent size that had new shoots and a very good root system. It was still moist wrapped loosely in plastic. There were no broken branches. So I was very pleased with this order. I would order roses again from 'Wayside Gardens'. Neutral mieow (2 reviews) On June 09, 2009, mieow USDA 6A, NY wrote: I ordered three lilacs this spring. When they arrived, two of them looked like they were infected by the pseudomonas disease. I had to throw them away because the disease would spread to other plants. Luckily I was able to get the refund. I only hope in the future the company will have better quality control before they send out the plants to the customers. Positive bassein33 (3 reviews) On June 08, 2009, bassein33 Arlington, MA (Zone 6a) wrote: I ordered 4 shrub roses and 2 old English style climbing roses from Wayside Gardens in April or May 2009. They arrived promptly & in great condition. They were of very decent (bare root) size as well as cane size. I was unable to plant them within the recommended time frame so I left them in the plastic bag for about a week (longer than recommended). Then, I planted the shrub roses but could not plant the climbers yet, so they stayed in the bag another week... then in a tub of water an additional week or so... far longer than their recommendation. (I know, neglect to start! We just moved into a new house & lots of prep work was needed.) When I did get to them, they were vigorous and started leafing out immediately...even while in the tub of water! Same with the 4 shrub roses I planted too! It's a great start, even with a not-so-ideal start. I would give them a shot again. This was my 1st order with them. Positive JiminRingoes (7 reviews) On June 07, 2009, JiminRingoes Ringoes, NJ wrote: I don't have much experience with Wayside, but two weeks ago I ordered three Euphorbia "Rudolph" and three Rhorodendron yakushimanum 'Yaku Princess' at very good sale prices. The plants arrived quickly and were large and healthy. I received excellent value on this order. Positive paulrichjr (5 reviews) On June 07, 2009, paulrichjr Savannah, TN wrote: I ordered some Lo & Behold Blue Chip butterly bushes and they were packaged good and arrived in good shape. All but one appeared to be in very good shape and even that one wasn't bad....just not as good as the other 6. I am surprised by all of the negative comments here about this company because I have never had a problem with them. The only problem that I could see was the shipment was sent so that it sat in a warehouse over the weekend and even on Memorial Day so I was a little surprised that they didn't show any wear from this. I would have preferred that they delayed their shipping so that it wouldn't have had to sat there that long but they did fine so why complain. Wayside was the only company that I could find that was even reasonable for this new plant and I am overall happy with my order. Negative riv (2 reviews) On May 29, 2009, riv Pine Grove, CA wrote: After almost 20 years of doing business with Wayside Gardens, I am saddened to report that they have turned into one of the worst catalogue companies in regards to customer service and quality of plants. I ordered 3 passiflora. One was obviously dead, but I planted all 3 anyway. After about a week, they all turned black and pulled up from the rootball. I immediately contacted WG. They did the standard "those plants are just dormant and in 4-6 weeks, they'll start growing!" Well, they did not, so I contacted them again. The poor little things were ONE WEEK in transit to me on a hot UPS plane/train/truck/whatever, as I live in California and the plants came from the east coast. It's a miracle they were even green, albeit withered, when I got them. They sent me one plant. It is doing fine, but when I try to get the other two plants, they are now sold out. They tell me they'll give me a credit. I ask for a refund. Suddenly, my emails are not answered. I wait a week and again email them, asking them for a refund, and letting them know that they're getting LOTS of negative reviews on the 'net. I get a very snotty-toned email back from Josh, saying that if I would've asked for a refund, that's what I would've gotten, and that my money would be refunded in 3-5 "working days". I forward the original email I wrote to them, asking them to refund my money. Well, it's been over two weeks now and still no refund to my bank account, PLUS they do not respond to any of my emails. I agree with others in that their catalogues make great reference resources, and I will now be taking them to the local nurseries and asking the very nice people at said nurseries to special order plants for me. It's very sad that after all the good experiences I've had with them, I guess Park Seed's buyout has brought with it some very bad customer service. Why the quality of their plants has gone downhill, I know not. I notice that several negative reports on this website have been answered by a VERY lame cut-and-paste response from WG. They are not fooling any of us. I won't be surprised when this company goes "tats" (sic) up, as there seems to be very little they're doing to prevent this. Negative elkcounty (2 reviews) On May 29, 2009, elkcounty Wilcox, PA wrote: The Incrediball Hydrangea I ordered from Wayside arrived in very poor condition. All the leaves and most of the stems were black. When I contacted them they told me that this was normal and that it would sprout new growth in 4 weeks. A plant stressed like this does not do well and takes years to recover if it does not just outright die. Because of the poor service and the line of bull that they are feeding me, I will never buy from Wayside again and not recommend them to anyone. Negative Ccelia (1 review) On May 26, 2009, Ccelia Philomath, OR wrote: My first disappointment with Wayside Gardens was that, although their catalogue said several varieties of echinacea were for sale, their web site said they were sold out and wouldn't be available until the fall. So, I chose another variety. Of the nine plants ordered, only five were in good shape. The other four were bone dry and their leaves were completely black. In other words, the plants were dead. When I complained to Wayside, they said the plants were dormant -- ludicrous! -- and that they would come back next year. By next year, if the plants don't come back, I'm sure Wayside will say they have no control over conditions in my garden... I agree with other posters' comments that Wayside's prices are higher and the plants smaller than other mail order companies. Negative lmalarkey (2 reviews) On May 24, 2009, lmalarkey Pittsburgh, PA wrote: I ordered from Wayside before I found the Dave's Garden site. For the prices that I paid, I expected bigger plants. Half of my order arrived in very poor condition. The Echinacea died and had very poor root structure when it arrived. The same was true with their Caryopteris. When I contacted the company, the Echinacea was never replaced. The Caryopteris was sent again in the fall, very late for planting in PA and did not survive the winter. I contacted them again this spring and was told that the one replacement was all that I would get even though they sent the plant at an inappropriate time. The My Monet Weigelia has survived but it does not look like their pictures in the catalogue, and at present is a very poor specimen. All in all, a great disappointment. Negative dreed (2 reviews) On May 22, 2009, dreed Eureka Springs, AR wrote: Wayside Gardens used to be one of the better mail order companies, but my last three experiences with them have been terrible. These included three dead ferns, some shoddy Vinca, and an order that was never delivered. I won't be ordering from them again. Negative Judysdigs (1 review) On May 21, 2009, Judysdigs Albany, NY wrote: I wish I had been aware of this website when I ordered from Wayside. I paid a total of $66 for a cornus alternifolia which did arrive in a timely manner. However, it was the most pathetic tree imaginable short of being absolutely dead, which it isn't quite yet. They responded to my distressed e-mail saying that the tree was shipped in the condition that is standard for mail order trees. Sorry, but I've had excellent success with other companies. Any reputable nurseryman would have declined to send this particular speciman. I will never take a chance with them again. If I had seen this tree in a local nursery I wouldn't have paid $5 for it. Negative litig8tr (3 reviews) On May 20, 2009, litig8tr Hattiesburg, MS wrote: I don't know why anyone would order from this company. When you order in the spring, they charge your credit card right away, but do not tell you that they don't have anything in stock. When you call about the order, they cannot tell you when to expect them. Over 6 weeks after my order, my plants finally arrived--dead. They replaced the plants but those were dead as well, except for one. This happened to me two years in a row. Positive thegladiator (5 reviews) On May 19, 2009, thegladiator Pottstown, PA (Zone 6b) wrote: On 3/18/09 I ordered a Burgundy Iceberg Rose bush from them and on 3/31/09 the status said shipping soon. I don't recall when I got the bare root plant but the packing slip that was in the box says it was shipped on 3/23/09. I planted it and it has taken off and been growing nicely. I will try this company again if I find something else I like in the future. This was definitive a positive experience since the rose bush was a present for my wife. I would recommend this company to my friends and family. Positive roseydew3 (5 reviews) On May 19, 2009, roseydew3 West Jefferson, OH wrote: Received 6 healthy grafted roses with very large roots and 3 quite large potted perennials(2 w/blooms). My order was shipped in 2 separate shipments, packaged wonderfully, as good as, or better than some other mail order nurseries. Nothing but praises for Wayside! Negative igrozem (1 review) On May 19, 2009, igrozem Dublin, OH wrote: I have ordered twice from Wayside. Both times the plants have been extremely small for the price charged. When you buy online you expect to save some money yet still get a reasonably sized plant in the process. I had no problem with the health of the plants. Size does matter when paying top dollar prices. The only thing I can see that is very good is the Wayside catalog. It's great for reference. Negative kws1313 (1 review) On May 14, 2009, kws1313 Jamaica Plain, MA wrote: I ordered the three new winter-hardy camellias last spring. They only had two, which they shipped in mid May, 2008. They grew throughout the summer, and made buds. However both died during the winter, though they were supposed to be hardy in my zone (6) and I had protected them with a wind guard and mulch around the roots. When I emailed this to the company, they stated that they were sorry but the guarantee had expired. I again wrote to explain that there was no way to tell until winter was over, but they said they had changed their "very generous past warranty" and now 6 weeks was the length of time to tell, and after that, it was your fault. Maybe that is true with some plants, but ones that are advertised as new and "winter hardy" for your zone should be just that. Also, do not order for fall planting, because lots of the plants do not reappear the next spring. Positive pgt (3 reviews) On May 12, 2009, pgt Chalfont, PA (Zone 6b) wrote: I was nervous ordering from Wayside b/c of all the negative comments. But, I have to say that I was extremely pleased with my experience. I ordered 3 Origanum rotundifolium "Kent Beauty", and they were packaged extremely well (they were packed by #26 if that makes a difference), and arrived in beautiful shape, and they arrived in the week that Wayside said that they would. I will try them again in the future. Very very happy. Negative O_DubhGhaill (3 reviews) On May 12, 2009, O_DubhGhaill Syracuse, NY wrote: Ordered Ice Plants (Table Mountain) and Gaillardia Fanfare in March. Finally shipped and received this Mother's Day weekend (Zone 5, according to their site should have shipped late March) after several inquiries into expected shipping date. Ice Plants were stacked on top of each other, waterlogged, several stinking rotten. The little Gaillardia were packed in with the large, heavy Table Mountain and several were broken. Planted them anyway, hoping they might make it...I wished I would have read about this company before I ordered. Negative dirtdiggingdiva (1 review) On May 09, 2009, dirtdiggingdiva Colorado Springs, CO wrote: Don't waste your time and money ordering from Wayside Gardens. The buddleia and the lilac that I ordered arrived nearly dead. The strawberry lemonade Buddleia was delivered in a smashed box and the plant was in really bad shape with dying leaves. The Bloomerang Lilac was waterlogged and branches rotting off. I sent them a photograph to document the condition of the plants upon arrival. They made no offer whatsoever to replace, refund, or credit. All they did was email me back claiming how many satisfied customers they have and how excellent their products are, and how they appreciated my "feedback". Having spent over $50.00 I would expect to receive better quality plants and customer service. I will never recommend this company to anyone, nor will I ever place another order with them or their affiliates (Park Seed) again. High Country Gardens and Territorial Seed do a much better job. Negative roninnobunaga (1 review) On May 04, 2009, roninnobunaga The Colony, TX wrote: I have to agree with the hundreds of negative comments, don't waste you time parking your money in their bank account. I noticed a post saying the person got what they ordered and assumes they have cleaned up their practices, but I dare say you, sir, are one of the lucky few. I have ordered from Wayside four seprate times over 3 years and only had two orders actually arrive and out of those two only one arrived the same year as I placed my order. Let's be frank here, how can every product be out of season or product quality "not up to their standards"? They have the most beautiful catalogs but the worst track record for getting the product to the customer. I ordered some trees for my mother for Mother's Day and they arrived nearly on time only to die that winter. I don't understand a japanese evergreen not being able to sustain in snow or a thuja giant, which is supposedly drought resistant and deep snow resistant dying in light snow. I ordered a combo special of japanese sky pencil holly and a helmond pillar that took at least six months to arrive only to on the verge of death. The Helmond pillar died within two weeks of arrival and the holly soon after. My other orders never arrived and after a year waiting for each i cancelled and got my refunds. I had no issue with customer service when i called but often wonder why no one informs you when they decide not to send your product due to "quality" issues. It all smells so fishy. How do you get so big that you lose touch with those you do business with. They have lost out on hundreds if not thousands of dollars I may have spent with them, that I spend at local nurseries now. Among this ranting I would like to add that I use chileplants.com to order my chili peppers and have never, in 6 years, had any issues what so ever. Someone is doing it right, why can't Wayside? Negative StellysPapa (25 reviews) On May 04, 2009, StellysPapa Dothan, AL (Zone 8a) wrote: I had placed a rather large order, over a hundred dollars with wayside, various plants and shrubs. Got a confirmation showing the order had been placed and received....this was done in February of 2009. I was told that my plants would be shipped at the correct planting time for my zone. Well, that time came and went. I sent numerous e-mails checking on the order status, and got no replies. I called them, only to be cut off. I asked that my order be cancelled and finally got an e-mail informing me that orders could not be cancelled. I finally got 3 of the evergreen trees ordered, and I must admit that they were all in good condition. However, after waiting and waiting for the rest of my order and been given the run around so many times, I asked again for a cancellation with no reply. I then get a post card in the regular mail, saying that the rest of my order had been sold out. This was the last straw. How can a place stay in business when they go around selling items that someone else has already bought? I finally asked for another cancellation, I told them I was very upset, etc. etc. and then I get a reply saying my credit card would show a refund in 30 days. I tried to print a copy of that e-mail but, apparently they have a block on their site, cause it came out all un readable. It has not been 30 days yet. But, I can assure you that if I do not get that refund, Wayside will be hearing from people higher up than myself, like my lawyer for example and the Better Business Bureau. My best word of advise to all who are reading this, STAY CLEAR OF WAYSIDE GARDENS......THEY ARE A RIP OFF On May 14th, 2009, StellysPapa added the following: This past monday May 11, was the 30th day since Wayside sent the email saying I would receive credit to my card within 30 days. I checked online with my credit card company, and no credit was issued. I still have the copy of that e-mail, and even though it is hard to read, it can be read...I just went to the wayside website to try and see what they now have under my account and order status, but when I entered my e-mail address, it said it was valid, but due to changes in the website, I would have to create a new password, and I clicked the button and it said they would e-mail me a temporary password within the next few minutes. I have not yet gotten that password, and it\'s been about 2 hours now. I have a feeling, I will not get a password, cause they know who I am, and do not want me to get into my account, cause they know they have lied and cheated me. Funny thing is, if you go to the website, and on the left side, scroll down to Shipping Info. click on it . you will read, \" Please note that credit cards are billed at time of shippment \". That is a bold face LIE. If that were true, then why has my card been charged ?. They owe me $142.00 and by golly, one way or another, I will get it back. On May 19th, 2009, StellysPapa added the following: Here it is May 19th. Wayside never did send the password. So, this past weekend, on the 17th, I went online to the BBB for that area in South Carolina. and let them know the entire story. Today. May 19th, I get an email update from the BBB. Attached was a reply from John Owens, Customer Service Administrator, of Wayside Gardens. here is what it said \" Thank you for bringing these concerns to my attention. Please extend my sincere apologies reguarding his ( me ) Wayside Gardens order experience. I have refunded his mastercard $142.25......etc etc. \" Needless to say I will never do buisiness with them again, but at least I do have the refund. Anyone else who care to report them to the BBB here is that website address info@greenvillebbb.org Now. I am waiting to hear from the BBB in Georgia, reguarding TyTy Nursery. I have a strong feeling the BBB will not get a reply from them near as quick as from wayside. On May 22nd, 2009, StellysPapa added the following: The refund was posted on my credit card, on May 20th. But, just because they did honor the refund request, I still will not do anymore buisiness with them and I strongly advise everyone else to stay clear of them. Just as a followup for TYty nursery, I had requested through the BBB for a refund, but, instead, TyTy sent the palm, I got it this past Tuesday. Stay clear of them too, and all their other nurseries. Positive flowerchild67 (1 review) On May 02, 2009, flowerchild67 Athens, TX wrote: I have been ordering from this co for many, many years. Last spring, I tried to get my C Card credited because an item I ordered was not available. It took several calls but finally got the credit. This spring I ordered one item only because I wanted to see how it would go. The plant arrived on schedule and in very good condition. Maybe they have cleaned up their act from what I have read on these posts. I hope so because they have a special collection of plants. Negative UnhappyCamper2 (1 review) On May 01, 2009, UnhappyCamper2 Oakland, CA wrote: This is possibly some of the worst customer service I have ever received. I placed my order on the 20th and today (May 1, 2009) I called to check on the status. I was told by the rude, bored-sounding customer service rep that my plants had been shipped nine days ago via UPS and were due for delivery today. Anyone who thinks those plants are still alive, raise your hand. His response to my concern? "Well, they were alive when we shipped them. That's all that matters." Okay then. Thanks for that. :crosses wayside gardens off list of business that will ever get my business again: Negative Cody_mi (4 reviews) On April 29, 2009, Cody_mi Hart, MI wrote: i ordered brunnera kings ransom, coreopsis red shift, hakonechloa nicholas and ligularia osiris cafe noir. the plants arrived in two inch peat pots, like parks. the ligularia was not the one ordered, instead i got two pots of osiris fantasie, which i already had. these were lined out in a nursery seedling bed and mulched so i could keep an eye on the tiny things. they plants arrived in late august, which should have been plenty of time to establish. the plants went dormant within a few weeks, or so i thought. i gave them plenty of time this spring before diggin them out, all of them were dead. i called and was told the guarantee only covered 60 days, but i could talk to a horticulturist, (which coincidently is what my degree is in also) this would have put the plants into october which is when plants are dormant in michigan, so there was no way i could have known. i will never order from this company or any of their affiliates. i've asked to be taken off of their catalogue list and will make sure everyone i know is aware of this site and the experience i've had. Negative plantgnome (26 reviews) On April 23, 2009, plantgnome Coram, NY wrote: since merging with Park Seed, customer service is as bad as theirs. still waiting for an answer on my two orders. Will not be ordering from them again. Other companies with better sized and healthier plants and better prices than this company. I consider them on an even par with Springhill Now. On April 28th, 2009, plantgnome added the following: This company sucks. Do not order anything from them. nothing is ever in stock when shipping time comes. Awaiting my last two orders. And thats it for them. Neutral kentstar (18 reviews) On April 22, 2009, kentstar Ravenna, OH (Zone 5b) wrote: Although I said I would never order from them again (I had bought a weeping ornamental tree from them last year that died within a few months), I went ahead and ordered 3 ornamental oreganoes from them. I know these are not for my zone, I am using them as annuals here. They smell wonderful and are beautiful, as I have had them before. They came in the mail fast and are doing wonderful in my window. When it warms up enough I will put them outside. I just needed to say that this one order has worked well, nice plants, quick shipping. I am saying neutral just because of the tree that died that came from them. In all honesty I don't know that some of that wasn't my fault too, watering, site location or planting depth. I had called the company about the tree last year, but was told to shade the plant and keep well watered and it should recover. Well, it didn't even faze the plant. It died anyway. I gave it all winter to recover, but alas it is RIP. Positive SNAKEBARK (4 reviews) On April 18, 2009, SNAKEBARK San Francisco, CA wrote: I hadn't ordered from Wayside for a few years (although I have been a long time customer), and I also had read many of the negative reviews in the Garden Watchdog. This month (April, 2009) I ordered (through the website) a dozen plants- six lonicera and six viburnum. The e-mail correspondence I had with the company was very prompt and very satisfactory. My order was delivered in two weeks, and I am happy to report that all of the plants were very healthy and robust. After this recent experience, I plan to order from Wayside again, probably in a few weeks. Negative WilliamBruce (1 review) On April 09, 2009, WilliamBruce Fairhope, AL wrote: Beware this operation. I wish I had read these reviews before I ordered. I ordered a Clematis from Wayside. When received, it was less that 1" tall and the three shriveled leaves were wilted. When I went on line to complain, I noticed that they had reduced the price of this item to $12.99 from the $19.99 that I had paid. They never satisfactorily addressed either the quality issue or the pricing issue. Stay away from them! Negative BinghamJFLowe (1 review) On April 09, 2009, BinghamJFLowe Phoenix, AZ wrote: Paid $23.16 (w/s/h) for 1 single Eryngium 'Jade Frost'. What arrived was the tiniest of seedlings that they had crushed under excelsior when packing. The poor seedling had been smashed to death and reduced to mush. On April 18th, 2009, BinghamJFLowe added the following: Well, my Caryopteris Collection from Wayside arrived this week. I usually order my Caryopteris, Salvias, Perovskias and other xeriscape plants from High Country Gardens, Holly Hill Nurseries, and others, but thought I\'d give Wayside another shot. Big mistake. Huge. The plants were DOA and looked as though they\'d suffered a slow and agonizing death. Their week in transit was not kind to them or they were sent out that way - I don\'t know which. In contrast, I also received several Caryopteri (is that the plural?) this week from HCG which were picture perfect. I think HCG is a little bit more expensive that many nurseries, but out of 30+ good-sized orders (and lots of small orders) I\'ve placed with them, I\'ve yet to receive a dead plant. Wayside sent me an email telling me that the DOA plants were just dormant. :-) If this is the case, then I can rejoice in the knowledge that my relatives who have passed on are only \"dormant\" too and will put in an appearance at our next family reunion. Caveat emptor - Buyer beware. Negative julianchandler (3 reviews) On April 06, 2009, julianchandler Stillwater, OK wrote: In my recent order from Wayside Gardens, there were three different tags stuck into the dirt of each potted plant. The first tag gave the plant height at 21". The second tag gave the plant height at 24-30". The third tag gave the plant height at 3-4'. Yes, you read this correctly. The given plant height for the same plant ranged from 21 inches to 4 feet. This was not a case of mistaken identity--the same plant name and variety was printed on each tag. To top it off, in each pot there was also a small slip of paper that stated, "I'm Not Dead -- I'm Dormant! I am a dormant bareroot plant, which means that I'm "sleeping" right now. Dormancy is the best time to ship plants, because we need less water and fresh air. To wake me up, just follow the instructions enclosed with your order. I'll be up and growing before you know it!" Very nice, except for the fact that the plants were not bareroot and they were not dormant. This was not a case of mistaken identity either. My order included only two plants, they were both the same variety, they both came in a pot with dirt, they both had little green leaves, and they both included this please-wake-me-up-I'm-bareroot-and-dormant message. I will never order anything from Wayside Gardens again unless it is the only place on earth where I can get what I am looking for! Negative hemlockhaunts (4 reviews) On April 01, 2009, hemlockhaunts Dover, PA wrote: WAYSIDE GARDENS IS AN INFERIOR NURSERY. THE PLANTS I HAVE GOTTEN THUS FAR HAVE BEEN SUBSTITUTES, SLOW SHIPPING, OFTEN DIE EVEN WITH THE BEST CARE. JUST LIKE PARK SEED A HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPT. THE ONLY THING THEY ARE GOOD AT IS TAKING YOUR MONEY. I WILL NEVER SPEND ANOTHER PENNY AT WAYSIDE. LOCAL NURSERIES FOR ME FROM NOW ON. I HAVE HAD TREMENDOUS LUCK WITH MUSSER FORESTS OVER THE YEARS.(MY STATE PA) Positive kattrox (15 reviews) On March 27, 2009, kattrox Floyds Knobs, IN (Zone 6b) wrote: Received my order today. Siberian iris were in perfect condition and well packed. I have ordered from Wayside in the past and have not had any trouble but I'm keeping my fingers crossed! Negative ceruleannight (1 review) On March 26, 2009, ceruleannight Chicago, IL wrote: I ordered daffodils last fall - they ran out of the item that I ordered - but didn't tell me that when I placed the order over the phone. Instead they sent me a different variety that I didn't want. I had also ordered the mixed crocus bulbs last fall - they are coming up now. In the catalog picture the colors are yellow, blue and white - but they only sent me white and yellow bulbs - very unattractive. I won't be doing business with them again. Negative MaggieA (4 reviews) On March 18, 2009, MaggieA Charleston, SC wrote: On August 3,2008, I ordered plants which were all noted "FOR FALL SHIPPING" I received three of the four items, very small, scraggly plants which I will know soon if they are living. Hopefully they will come up. The main item I wanted, the Platycodon "Fairy Snow" was not included with no explanation. I waited a couple of weeks and kept checking the online status, which still said " to be shipped". I emailed and then called. I finally got the message that this item had been discontinued. Until I actually called again and got a real person on line, no mention was made of refunding the $20 I had paid (credit cards are charged when the order is placed). I was told I would get a merchandise credit. It never showed up, so i asked for a refund. I was then told it would take approximately four weeks for it to show up on my credit card. Still hasn't. HOWEVER the new status on the order shows it "to be shipped". I have still not had a reply from the company on any of my calls, unless I actually waited on the phone for them. They have not called or emailed me. On April 20th, 2009, MaggieA added the following: I did, finally, after much persistence, get a refund posted to my credit card. My local garden shop makes a point of defending this company because they have been overwhelmed with orders this year and can\'t handle them. It is past time for the company to either take steps to be able to handle the increase, or at the very least change the policy to charging the credit card when the order is actually being filled. Negative Greytluv (1 review) On February 04, 2009, Greytluv Fairport, NY wrote: Once Parks took over, Wayside has become the worst. I placed an order, gave my phone and e-mail, checked on it days later and found that almost everything was going to be canceled/delayed. Why do they ask for the phone and e-mail if they don't contact you? What once was one of the best has become the poorest. In these times, they better think ahead! Negative cm_texas (1 review) On December 29, 2008, cm_texas Austin, TX wrote: I am disappointed with Wayside. I ordered 13 POTENTILLA MANGO TANGO. Just about all of them arrived in awful shape. Six were dead. So they sent replacements. However, the remaining ones (7) needed to be nursed back to health. When some (4) of these plants died, they refused to send replacements. According to them, the "guarantee has expired"! Not only have I lost money on this, I am left with bare areas in my beds which will be difficult to fill. On a previous order, I had received dead plants and some that died after planting (they were too far gone to survive). I should have learned my lesson and avoided using Wayside. But gave them the benefit of the doubt. One would expect a reputable company to stand behind their product. Negative cammonro (3 reviews) On December 27, 2008, cammonro Middlebury, CT wrote: I made the mistake of ordering 3 Kordes Moonlight from Wayside Gardens this past spring. They arrived and they were very healthy roots. I planted them and they took off but when they bloomed looked nothing like the picture. They were bright bright pink! Not an ounce of yellow except when they first started to bud. Also the description said Moonlight was thornless. Not these - big massive thorns. I thought at first that maybe they sent me the wrong rose but to send me THREE wrong roses? I don't know. At any rate, it was certainly not what I ordered or was led to believe I ordered from the picture and description. I made them give me a refund but let me tell you it was a major hassle - it took months. And they would not refund my shipping. The roses ended the season with quite a bit of black spot. I'll be shovel pruning these roses come spring. I will NEVER order from Wayside again. Positive flowerfantasy (10 reviews) On November 14, 2008, flowerfantasy Washington, IN (Zone 6a) wrote: Ordered and recieved my plants in a very timely manner. The Plants were in good health and in pots as stated they would be. Have placed another order with them so shall see if it arrives in timely manner as the first one did, and is in as good as shape as the first. On November 20th, 2008, flowerfantasy added the following: Just recieved my second order from Wayside Gardens. It was for some lily bulbs and they were very big bulbs and healthy. Just have to say no problems here so far. Negative kkfsplanter (1 review) On November 10, 2008, kkfsplanter Dacula, GA wrote: In late September I found Wayside Gardens as part of an internet search and simply ordered 3 cryptomeria trees for $60 plus change. Days became a couple of weeks and nothing arrived. When I called Cusotmer Service they told me that my shipment had been "back ordered to next spring which was the optimum plating season". I had not been contacted in any way by Wayside Gardens with this information and was surprised to hear this. When I initially ordered the trees, the agent told me that the trees could be planted beautifully in the fall. Since I wanted these trees this fall, I immediately asked for a refund so I could order the trees from somewhere else. They told me I could only have an "in- house credit". I balked and was able to get a committment for a refund on the card I used. Weeks passed with no refund. Another phone call to Customer Service revealed that they can "take up to 30 days to process the refund". Well 30 days came and went. Today (November) I called them again about the fact that no refund had been issued to my card. They told me an "in-house" refund had finally been issued. WHAT?!?! They would have never told me this had I not followed through and called again. I do not want an in house refund. I actually do not want to do business here again. At this point, I am awaiting a promised refund to my credit card. I hope it comes before 2009. My opinion is not to order from Wayside Gardens. Since then, I found another on-line nursery and ordered 4 cryptomerias and 6 forsythias...they were very inexpensive and beautiful...have already been planted...And yet, I still cannot get my money back from Wayside Gardens. That's the plain truth.

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